A nurse is reinforcing teaching about preventing disease transmission with the parents of a child who has a streptococcal infection. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?

A. Brisk pupillary reaction to light: A brisk pupillary reaction to light is a normal neurological finding and does not indicate increased ICP. Increased ICP might present with a sluggish or unequal pupil response.

B. Irritability: Irritability is a common early sign of increased ICP in infants. Changes in behaviour, such as increased irritability or lethargy, can indicate a neurological problem, including increased pressure within the skull.

C. Tachycardia: Tachycardia (increased heart rate) is not a typical indicator of increased ICP. Bradycardia (decreased heart rate) is more commonly associated with increased ICP due to the pressure on the brainstem affecting autonomic functions.

D. Increased sensory response to painful stimuli: Increased sensory response is not typically indicative of increased ICP. In fact, as ICP worsens, a decrease in sensory response or altered level of consciousness is more likely.

A. Initiate droplet precautions. Pertussis (whooping cough) is transmitted via respiratory droplets. Droplet precautions are necessary to prevent the spread of the disease through coughs or sneezes.

B. Initiate a protective environment. A protective environment is used for patients with severe immunocompromised conditions to protect them from infections, not to prevent the spread of respiratory infections like pertussis.

C. Initiate contact precautions. Contact precautions are used for infections spread by direct or indirect contact with the patient or their environment, such as MRSA. Pertussis is spread by droplets, not by contact.

D. Initiate airborne precautions. Airborne precautions are for diseases that are spread through airborne particles, such as tuberculosis or measles. Pertussis is not airborne but spread through larger respiratory droplets.